We are a Catholic, Independent, Co-educational, Day School from 3 to 18. We provide a broad & challenging education within a caring & secure environment. The partnership of teachers, pupils & parents creates a community where pupils are able to grow to their full potential. We are committed to 'outstanding pastoral care' within a nurturing ethos, and the highest level of academic achievement.

Our prospectus

School Noticeboard

By far the best way to find out more about Bishop Challoner Senior School is to visit us on a working day. Visits and personal tours can be arranged at any time.

If you would like to arrange a personal tour, you are warmly welcome to contact Mrs Sue Long, Admissions Registrar, by email at [email protected] or click on the button below to contact our Admissions Team.

Visiting the school during our Open Morning will give you an opportunity to tour the school with one of our pupils and speak with individual class teachers who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Families are also warmly welcome to arrange a private visit at any time by clicking on the link below.

We are sure a visit to Bishop Challoner will help you experience the happy atmosphere of our school.

BISHOP CHALLONER EXCELS IN SUPPORTING ITS YOUNGEST PUPILS

In recent years there has been much discussion in Early Years about the importance of “school readiness” and preparation for school. Bishop Challoner School is an all through Catholic Independent school from 3-18 years, welcoming all faiths. We pride ourselves on our smooth transitions throughout the school.

So how can transition best be supported? At Bishop Challoner we use a “multi-pronged” approach, consisting of 3 main aspects – Supporting knowledge and understanding; promoting life-skills by encouraging school readiness; and, Pastoral support for the individual child.

For children who stay on at Bishop Challoner, their preparation starts from the moment they enter the nursery.

The children are aware from the start that they are part of a much bigger environment and share all the same resources as the main school – trim trail, gymnasium and stage, dining hall and sports field.

Using these facilities and joining in whole school events such as, assemblies and enrichment opportunities with our sixth formers allows the children to acknowledge they are part of a whole school.

Preparation for transition is not a “one size fits all” affair.

The EYFS embraces the ‘Unique’ child and never is this more important than when the child/family move on. It is essential each child receives the care, support and preparation they require to facilitate secure, happy and lasting relationships.

PHONICS SUCCESS IN JUNIOR SCHOOL

Since 2018, Bishop Challoner has successfully implemented Read Write Inc., a programme that helps children learn synthetic phonics. Across Reception to Year 3, pupils are grouped according to phonic ability which ensures that all phonics lessons are pitched at the correct level and every child is challenged and able to make clear and rapid progress. Read Write Inc. has five underlying principles (the 5Ps) – Pace, Purpose, Passion, Participation and Praise.

Phonics is an important tool to develop reading fluency and confidence, and is essential to all other areas of the curriculum. Teachers and pupils have noticed improvements in spelling, handwriting, grammar and comprehension.

“My spellings have got much better!” – Year 1 pupil

“It has made the children more secure in their sounds which they can apply to their other work.” – Year 3 teacher

In Read Write Inc. lessons, pupils read lively and attractive books, which tailored to the sounds and words they are learning. They re-read stories to develop fluency and expression, which makes them confident readers.

A GLOWING REPORT

“Pupils’ personal commitment to the school and the local community is very strong, they are beacons for the school in the community”.

This is just one extract from our recent inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate which reported that Bishop Challoner School has met all of the Compliance standards with no action points.

We are extremely proud to have been graded as 'Good' for The Quality of Pupils’ Academic and other Achievements and 'Excellent' for the Quality of the Pupils’ Personal Development and pleased that the report reflects the hard work and dedication to education and pastoral care that is demonstrated by staff, pupils and parents alike throughout our school.

Parent reviews

Average Rating:

BY PARENTS, FOR PARENTS

“We love it at BCS”

04 December 2016AUTHOR: MumOf3

I have 3 children in the junior school who are all flourishing and genuinely LOVE school. The values and pastoral care are second to none and with the small class sizes, my children receive the attention they require.
Having been with the school for 6 years I have seen many changes - good and bad - and am very pleased with the positive direction the school has taken under the leadership of the new Head. The grounds look wonderful and fill the children with pride in their school, there are more after school activities available and anywhere I go I receive compliments on how well behaved and intelligent my children are; testimony to the well rounded nurturing they receive at BCS.

“Excellent school”

15 November 2016AUTHOR: VeryPleasedMum

Excellent all round school with a family, nurturing feel. Smaller school means all staff know your child and understand them.
Excellent transitions at all phases of this through school - nursery to juniors, junior to senior.
Very happy with a flourishing, happy child.

“Extremely Impressed”

15 November 2016AUTHOR: Prospective Parent

My son and I were extremely impressed with the visit to this school in October. Not only was the school outstanding, it was as described on your website word for word. We found it very comfortable, caring and full of all aspects of an environment to enrich a child in their educational path. The young gentlemen from the sixth form who gave us the tour was of a very very high standard, very knowledgeable, wonderful manners and conducted the whole tour in a clear and professional way. The children we came across during the tour gave a shining example of what is truly inspired for children and young adults to be. I was so very much taken back when I entered a room and the class stood up. I felt humbled at this display of manners and respect.

“Very Good Nurturing School”

11 August 2016AUTHOR: Happy Mum

Excellent school with assessment type of entry. Every child is respected. When we were selecting a school for our oldest child we were looking for a school that offered academic excellence, in a pastorally supportive environment. The school might not look modern but what goes on inside is excellent! No child is left alone; they make sure children are friendly and obedient. Its a good school with Catholic values. Academic depends on both sides. We were happy with the results (2011-2012).

“My experience was not good”

31 January 2016AUTHOR: Bromley Dad

When my children started at this school back in 2010, it was good. Unfortunately in recent years there has been a high turnover of staff and this led to my son having his GCSEs disrupted. In our experience, in some subjects there was a lack of guidance around coursework. I moved my daughter to a local state school and she is much happier.

“BCS”

03 November 2015AUTHOR: bromleylad

Excellent nurturing school. Good for pupils overwhelmed by a large school. Class sizes are around 20-24. A lot of older somewhat stuck in the mud teachers have been cleared out and it is now much more vibrant. My daughter is very happy there.There is a new head recruited from nearby Bromley High and she has made a big impact.

Meet the Head: Mrs Paula Anderson

Paula Anderson became Head in 2014, joining from Bromley High School for Girls where she was Senior Deputy Head for ten years. She has taught in a number of independent schools including The Royal High School, Bath where she was Head of a Faculty and Deputy Director of Studies. Mrs Anderson has a BSc (Hons) and an MBA in Educational Management from the University of Leicester. She is married with two teenage boys.

Who/what inspired you to become a teacher?

This is not down to one person but as a result of a holistic experience of my school days, having been taught by many excellent teachers who brought enthusiasm and creativity to the classroom. I knew that I wanted to work with children and inspire them to do their best and enable them to reach their full potential and enjoy learning.

What achievement are you most proud of as Head?

I ensure that I make time to listen to the pupils at Bishop Challoner and meet with them regularly. I am keen to learn all about their interests and their likes and dislikes and what makes them buzz. It is extremely important to me to meet the pupils in small groups over the course of each year whilst they enjoy cake and juice in my room. Since I interview all the 11+ entrants I am already a step ahead because when they join us I can remember their names and what they have told me. I also enjoy meeting them on a Monday morning for commendations to reward extremely good work and effort. The nursery children are adorable and they take time to feed me with their produce that they have been making!

What does a successful school look like to you?

A school where the pupils can be themselves and are happy. If they are happy they will thrive and be successful. A successful school is one that engages the pupils through excellent teaching enabling them to learn effectively and be challenged, to grow in knowledge and develop skills in preparation for the wider world. Development of the whole child is key and this is achieved through a range of extra-curricular activities and excellent pastoral care. Achieving excellent examination results is an expectation of an independent school but the personal development of every pupil is the key to their future.

What is the most important quality you want every child to have when they leave your school? And why?

We want our pupils to leave Bishop Challoner as confident and responsible individuals. During their time with us we give the pupils every opportunity to develop into well balanced and rounded individuals through our broad curriculum and extra-curricular provision as well as through leadership opportunities. These areas of development allow pupils to grow in confidence. We are ambitious for every pupil and we want them to have the confidence and desire to be ambitious for themselves, following our school motto of ‘Dare to do their best’.

Please give 5 words to describe the ethos of your school.

Catholic
Our Catholic ethos allows us to support and guide pupils in their own faith journey through Mass and prayer. We celebrate Mass and hold regular services. Roman Catholic pupils in Year 3 are prepared for First Confession and Holy Communion in partnership with parishes where they worship.

Nurturing
Our enduring aim is to provide each pupil with a tailored education within a caring and nurturing environment whereby they can maximise their abilities and achieve their personal objectives. Our pastoral support ensures that the pupils remain happy and feel supported.

Respect
We respect all faiths and create a learning partnership for all. Our pupils are respectful of other views and listen to each other. The school responds with sensitivity and openness to the needs of those who belong to other churches or faiths and to value their beliefs. The pupils are polite and well mannered.

Tolerance
Our strong discipline and pastoral care provide a good moral grounding and the pupils can see the value in goodness and they learn to be tolerant of each other.

Community
There is a strong sense of community among the pupils, staff, Trustees, and parents and our alumni. We are very proud of the strong sense of community that exists amongst the former pupils with one another and with the school.
Bishop Challoner recognises the important contribution pupils can make to their community and traditionally we have provided leadership opportunities through the School Council, House and Sports Captains, Senior Prefects, Chaplaincy, Charity representatives, Youth Travel Ambassadors and Head Pupil Team.

Catchment information

This school is independently managed and its admission criteria may be selective. There is no set catchment area as pupils are admitted from a wide variety of postcodes and, in the case of boarding schools, from outside the UK. Contact the school directly or visit their website for more information on Admissions Policy and Procedures.

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2015 GCSE RESULTS

Important information for parents

Due to number of reforms to GSCE reporting introduced by the government in 2014, such as the exclusion of iGCSE examination results, the official school performance data may not accurately report a school’s full results. For more information, please see About and refer to the section, ‘Why does a school show 0% on its GSCE data dial? In many affected cases, the Average Point Score will also display LOW SCORE as points for iGCSEs and resits are not included.

Schools can upload their full GCSE results by registering for a School Noticeboard. All school results data will be verified.

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